The fighting resulted in 1,3 casualties, at least 350,000 internally displaced persons idps, approximately 2,000 refugees, significant, but unknown, numbers of sexual violence victims, and the destruction of 117,216 private properties and 491 governmentowned properties including. Tension intensified with the 2007 reelection of kibaki, contested by odinga. By midjanuary, six hundred kenyans lay dead in an unprecedented orgy of postelection violence. The consequences of 2007 kenya postelection violence cannot be overemphasized. The kenyan commission of inquiry into postelection violence background the commission of inquiry into postelection violence cipev was the outcome of the kenya national dialogue and reconciliation accord of february 28, 2008, negotiated by kofi annan and the panel of eminent african personalities, and its sister agreement of. Political violence and the 20 elections in kenya hrw. Preventing postelection violence based on the kenyan experience.
Aug 08, 2017 ten years since the chaos that erupted after the 2007 elections, kenya goes to the polls again on tuesday, august 7. Preventing mass violence does not mean that electionrelated violence was absent in kenya, or that elections are peaceful. The fighting resulted in 1,3 casualties, at least 350,000 internally displaced persons idps, approximately 2,000 refugees, significant, but unknown, numbers of sexual violence victims, and the destruction of 117,216 private properties and 491 governmentowned. Njenga has also tried to gain political influence via the kenya. Postelection violence in kenya and its aftermath center. One way of understanding postelection violence and the possible mediarelated imperatives is to look at the variety of contexts in which it can occur. The post election demonstration and violence stemmed from a mixture of motives. This was widely confirmed by international observers, as being. Supporters of kibakis opponent, raila odinga of the orange democratic movement, alleged electoral manipulation. During the postelection violence, mungiki came to naivasha with lorries on january 25, 2008 and led the mob rende in kikuyu language that killed and evicted people. The mungiki, ethnic violence and the politics of the moi succession in kenya, 19872002 peter mwangi kagwanja abstract kenyas return to pluralist politics in the early 1990s saw the eruption of political violence that has since laid siege to human rights and democracy. The mungiki, ethnic violence and the politics of the moi succession in ken ya, 19872002, in. Postelection violence continuing across kenya 28 jan 08 al jazeera english. For a time under mois regime, the mungiki were provided with a degree of state support, but in.
The article explores mungikis combination of politics, religion and kikuyu traditions. This was character, reviving a new form of confirmed by the commission ethnic chauvinism and of inquiry into the post election. Commission of inquiry on postelection violence dpa department of political affairs idps internally displaced persons. Politicians are accused of having financed and equipped them with machetes to clear the area of political opponents knchr, 2008, namunane, 2012, wekesa, 2012. Kenya has been riddled with conflict and violence throughout its brief history as a nation. Pdf postelection crisis in kenya and internally displaced. Failures to make these distinctions in analysis and evaluation risk distorting estimations of the potential for future violence, potential triggers, and underlying conflict drivers. Planned criminal attacks by mungiki and kikuyu politicians.
An analysis of the post 2007 general election conflict mediation process in kenya submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree ll. By 2002 mungiki had begun a new criminal venture aligning themselves with local politicians who wanted to win their election race by means of intimidating their opponents into removing their names from the ballot. The land policies established by the colonial and postcolonial systems under regimes that employed different strategies created. Media, elections and political violence in eastern africa. Pdf dilemmas of crime, human rights and the politics of. Human rights and the politics of mungiki violence in kenya 21. Nairobi police see new mungiki activity, fearing violence. It is estimated that the violence it is estimated that the violence claimed more than lives. Odinga calls on president to concede as violence continues. The mungiki sect, including organizational structure, leadership.
Postelection violence continuing across kenya 28 jan 08. Those who committed heinous acts during last years postelection chaos are probably having endless nightmares. The kenyan commission of inquiry into postelection violence. An analysis of the post 2007 general election conflict mediation process in kenya. Several mungiki leaders were killed in mysterious circumstances or disappeared after the postelection violence. A commission set up to investigate the 2008 post election violence reported that mungiki members were suspected of perpetrating the violence. Post2007 election violence, the mungiki, and the international criminal court. Preventing mass violence does not mean that election related violence was absent in kenya, or that elections are peaceful. Case information sheet international criminal court. Victims still seeking justice for the postelection. Many attribute kikuyuled violence to the mungiki, a wellestablished kikuyu criminal organizationreligious sect with deep roots in kenyan history. Case information sheet situation in the republic of kenya the prosecutor v. Causes of electoral violence in africa written by ngah gabriel sous dir.
M human rights and democratisation in africa faculty of law, university of pretoria, south africa by beatrice nyawanda odallo student number. Voting in elections has widely been along ethnic lines in many kenyan communities. Their definition is based on their observation that the cycle of political violence often begins before elections and does not end after that, even though the person behind the problem has been elected. Sexual violence was also reported in the 2017 presidential election. The man, who has been charged with being drunk and disorderly, also claimed mungiki gangs were after him because of his involvement. The kalenjin warriors and mungiki were heavily involved. Country advice kenya united states department of justice.
Jan 28, 2008 post election violence continuing across kenya 28 jan 08 al jazeera english. However, when crimes against humanity were alleged to have been committed in kenya during the 20072008 postelection violence, a promising road map for criminal accountability was agreed upon alongside a political solution. Pdf dilemmas of crime, human rights and the politics of mungiki. The 2007 postelection violence in kenya, however, was of a different magnitude. During 30 days of violence, there were hundreds of rapes, possibly more.
Widespread perception that the count of the presidential election was modified in favour of kibaki. The report provides general background information about the issues most commonly raised in asylumhuman rights claims. This article discusses the mungiki movement which, like the mau mau. Dilemmas of crime, human rights and the politics of mungiki violence in kenya 21. In this essay i anatomize the postelection violence in kenya to identify the different forms of ethnic conflict so as.
Sexual violence against men and boys in the context of election and postelection violence in kenya sexual violence, including against men and boys, took place in the 2007 general election and its aftermath. The post election attacks left more than 1, 100 people dead, 3,500 injured and up to 600, 000 forcibly displaced. He argues that ndura waruinge, mungikis leader in 2002, is first and foremost a radical political activist, and that today, mungiki is a highly politicised movement utilising violent, criminal and intimidating means to achieve its goals. Mar 02, 2011 many attribute kikuyuled violence to the mungiki, a wellestablished kikuyu criminal organizationreligious sect with deep roots in kenyan history. Forced circumcision reportedly on luo victims and attributed to members of the mungiki sect was also reported my emphasis p. Long before the 20072008 postelections violence, mungiki was already in the. Report of the commission of inquiry into the postelection. Violence, deception, and change in kenyas electoral politics.
The 20072008 postelection violence was also more widespread than in the past. Sep 28, 2017 tension intensified with the 2007 re election of kibaki, contested by odinga. I was forcefully circumcised by mungiki during the 2007 post. In this paper, i perform an analysis of the conflict to examine why widespread violence erupted in the wake of kibakis presidential reelection. After the 20072008 election related violence, however, the commission of inquiry into post election violence said that links between mungiki and some politicians began to return, limiting again. Sexual violence against men and boys in the context of election and post election violence in kenya sexual violence, including against men and boys, took place in the 2007 general election and its aftermath. At the time of writung this report 18 casualties remain in hospital, with fractures and severe soft tissue injuries. Kenya national dialogue and reconciliation, agreement establishing a commission of inquiry on postelection violence pdf file 3 pages, 614 kb. Conflict analysis of 2007 postelection violence in kenya. The prosecutor opened the sealed envelope, examined its content and resealed it.
As at 18 april 2008, 323 casualties of post election retribution had been examined and treated since election day, 29 march 2008 see appendix 1. Using the examples of snuff tobacco, revolutionary talk and generational exclusion, it is argued that one way of understanding the connection between the various elements is to look at specific youth practices that cut across apparently separate activities. One way of understanding post election violence and the possible mediarelated imperatives is to look at the variety of contexts in which it can occur. Final report, commission of inquiry into the post election violence cipev, 2008. A commission set up to investigate the 2008 postelection violence reported that mungiki members were suspected of perpetrating the violence. An election delay can help avert kenyas crisis oct. I was forcefully circumcised by mungiki during the 2007. The mungikis emergence and popular support tied in with previous electoral.
Over the years there appear to have been attempts, some even official, to erase the memory of the 200708 postelection violence from public consciousness. The waki report states that a meeting was held in statehouse to coordinate revenge on luos and kalenjins. Postelection violence where there is persistent and sustained sense of. During interethnic clashes, apart from the destruction of movable and fixed property as well as murders, there was a distinct desire. After the 20072008 electionrelated violence, however, the commission of inquiry into postelection violence said that links between mungiki and some politicians began to return, limiting again. Figure 43 deaths associated with the 2007 election in kenya rose after declines in the previous two elections. Ethnic violence and the prospects for democracy in the aftermath of the 2007 kenyan elections.
Mungiki movement in the aftermath of the postelectoral violence in 2008, during the. Ten years since the chaos that erupted after the 2007 elections, kenya goes to the polls again on tuesday, august 7. As the violence spread, rumors abounded about the activities of the mungiki, a kikuyu ethnic militia known for its practice of oathing in a manner reminiscent of the nationalist fighters of the mau mau rebellion. Long before the 20072008 post elections violence, mungiki was already in the.
Mungiki is a kikuyu word were deployed to ease violence meaning masses or the people. Four kenyans, including jubilee coalition presidential candidate uhuru kenyatta and his running mate william ruto, will stand trial from april 10 at the icc for crimes against humanity committed in the 20072008 polls chaos. Victims still seeking justice for the postelection violence 15 july 2014, 00. Causes of electoral violence in africa written by ngah. The consequences of 2007 kenya post election violence cannot be overemphasized. Ethnic violence broke out again, chiefly in the rift valley. Tens of thousands of houses and businesses were looted or destroyed. Several mungiki leaders were killed in mysterious circumstances or disappeared after the post election violence. These militias, along with the mungiki secta criminal organization formed. Yet, each time reality has found a way to impose itself. Preventing postelection violence based on the kenyan.
And mungiki was willing to terrorize even severely beat these rivals for a price. International efforts to mediate an end to kenyas postelection crisis began on 22 january. Significant violence between kikuyu and luo groups occurred in major cities such as nairobi and kisumu, including the nairboi slums of kibera and mathare. The recent 2016 post election crisis in gabon12 that left scores dead seems to shows that electoral violence is an intractable phenomenon on the continent. Yesterday, a man stunned a court by demanding life imprisonment, claiming he torched houses when kenya went to the brink of chaos. Ethnic violence and the prospects for democracy in the. On 6 november 2009, the presidency of the court assigned the situation to pretrial chamber ii, composed of judge ekaterina. A common thread in the post election violence was the wanton destruction of property and the severe effect arson has had on peoples lives and property. An analysis of the post 2007 general election conflict. Following the postelection violence in january 2008. This research seeks to examine the causes and effects of post election violence on agricultural production in kesses division, uasin gishu county.
Narcs mwai kibaki had defeated kanus uhuru kenyatta, and the former opposition had. The mandate of the commission of inquiry into postelection violence cipev. Nature of the violence the majority of kenyas postelection violence took place in january and february, 2008. The international media looks at this crisis through the lenses of ethnic cleansing and a fight for tribal supremacy between the luo and the kikuyu. Republic of kenya united states department of justice. However, after engaging in a violent crime spree last year well before and unrelated to the elections, the kenyan policy cracked down on the group, reportedly fracturing its leadership. It affected all but 2 provinces and was felt in both urban and rural parts of the country. Causes and effects of postelection violence on agricultural. The mungiki sect was reportedly sent to fight luo people in these slums. The icc also investigated the 2008 postelection violence in jos as one episode of largescale intercommunal violence in central nigeria. Commission of inquiry into the post election violence. Nairobi police see new mungiki activity, fearing violence in 2017 polls in kayole and mathare, we deal with mungiki cases on a weekly basis, said a source, explaining that police headquarters have contingency plans to deal with opportunistic violence, but that organised chaos would pose a major challenge for the force. Dilemmas of crime, human rights and the politics of mungiki. He argues that ndura waruinge, mungiki s leader in 2002, is first and foremost a radical political activist, and that today, mungiki is a highly politicised movement utilising violent, criminal and intimidating means to achieve its goals.
Aug 11, 2009 nature of the violence the majority of kenyas post election violence took place in january and february, 2008. According to the waki commission that investigated the post election violence pev, by january 2008 the ethnic militia of the kikuyu ethnic group, mungiki, used blunt objects such as broken glass to forcibly circumcise at least eight men, some as young as eleven and five years old. The 200708 kenyan crisis was a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis that erupted in kenya after former president mwai kibaki was declared the winner of the presidential election held on december 27, 2007. Post election violence where there is persistent and sustained sense of election fraud. Oct 16, 2008 the 20072008 post election violence was also more widespread than in the past. Mungikis postelection violence at the new year of 20022003, it became clear that kenya had experienced one of the most significant political changes since independence. Mungiki operates primarily in the nairobi slums, in the central province. More than 250,000 people were internally displaced, made refugees in their own country. Over the years there appear to have been attempts, some even official, to erase the memory of the 200708 post election violence from public consciousness. In 2012, following the 20078 postelection violence in kenya, the icc opened. On 16 july 2009, the prosecutor received the sealed envelope and six boxes containing documents and supporting material compiled by the commission. Country of origin information coi report kenya 25 february 2011. The use of ethnicity in political debate and in social relations, both as inwardlooking censure and a means. This means focusing on the political psyche in one part of kenya, the rift valley.
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